Save my man, why does he always turn out to be the savior?

Chapter 382 The Prince's Mystery: The Cannon Fodder Bride Forced into a Substitute Marquis'

Emperor Xinghe smiled and walked up to Shen Huaizhi. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that there were tears in Emperor Xinghe's eyes.

"Child, you must have already guessed who I am... uh... right?"

Shen Huaizhi remained silent, then bowed respectfully before speaking, disapprovingly saying, "The outskirts are dangerous; you shouldn't have come."

Emperor Xinghe remained noncommittal. He turned to look at the fire beside him and the roasted food on the oilcloth next to it, and asked with great interest.

"You guys, are you having a picnic?"

Shen Huaizhi pursed his lips: "Yes, the scenery is beautiful today, so my wife and I thought we should go out for a stroll."

Looking at their earnest answers, Su Jinyue knew that the rift between the father and son could not be erased in a day or two.

But since Emperor Xinghe has come to this estate and personally visited Shen Huaizhi, he must also want to acknowledge Shen Huaizhi as his father.

Emperor Xinghe had already achieved this much; he was quite capable as an emperor.

Since Shen Huaizhi didn't know how to ease the tension, Su Jinyue took over.

Su Jinyue stepped forward with a smile and stood next to Shen Huaizhi, saying, "Today is the perfect time for a barbecue, why don't you join us?"

"Perfect timing! My husband just roasted a rabbit and a pheasant, along with some vegetables. You can try them; these outdoor dishes have a more rustic charm than what you'd have at home."

"Haha, really? Then I'll have to give it a good try..."

Su Jinyue joined in the fun, chatting and laughing with Emperor Xinghe, with Xia Yuzhong also there to cheer her on, creating a harmonious atmosphere for a while.

Shen Huaizhi's expression softened. Although he was not familiar with his biological father, he ultimately did not resist.

With so many people, there wasn't enough food. Xia Yuzhong, being very astute, had already sent people to the mountains to catch some, and now they had all been prepared and brought over.

After Su Jinyue marinated the game, she handed it to Shen Huaizhi to grill. Emperor Xinghe was also very interested in this, so he took a game and grilled it in a very professional manner, just like Shen Huaizhi.

Shen Huaizhi had only recently learned how to barbecue, but he couldn't help but lecture the clumsy Emperor Xinghe, who listened patiently and patiently.

Su Jinyue shook her head. These two were truly a pair, one daring to teach and the other daring to learn. But seeing how enthusiastic they were, Su Jinyue decided not to disturb them.

Anyway, she's already marinated them, so even if they're not grilled perfectly, it'll just be a matter of whether they're raw or cooked, and there won't be any major problems. Besides, Xia Yuzhong has already prepared a royal chef, and the barbecue is going on at the same time, so they won't go hungry.

After thinking for a moment, Su Jinyue asked Xia Yuzhong for two prepared pheasants, marinated them, wrapped them in lotus leaves she had brought in advance, and covered them with yellow mud to make a beggar's chicken.

Finally, the wild game that Shen Huaizhi and Emperor Xinghe roasted was either overcooked or just cooked through, or even a little raw, but both were still edible.

Both of them were very satisfied with the results of their labor, but when they smelled the aroma wafting out from the yellow mud that Su Jinyue had knocked open, they tacitly put down the wild game in their hands and started eating the beggar's chicken that Su Jinyue had made.

The picnic was a great success, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Su Jinyue noticed that Emperor Xinghe and Shen Huaizhi had something to say to each other. As if remembering something, she spoke to Shen Huaizhi.

"Husband, there seem to be fish in the stream over there. I'll go see if I can catch any and make you a fish soup."

Shen Huaizhi smiled and nodded, then instructed, "Alright, go ahead. But be careful, don't go into the water, you might catch a cold."

Su Jinyue obediently agreed and left with Chuncao.

Su Jinyue left, and Xia Yuzhong also made an excuse to stay far away, leaving only Shen Huaizhi and Emperor Xinghe.

Without someone to lighten the mood, the cheerful atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

After a long silence, Shen Huaizhi heard a long sigh.

"Huaizhi, do you resent me, your father?"

Shen Huaizhi sat there cross-legged, eyes downcast and silent, but if someone looked down at him, they would see the blankness in his eyes.

Resentment? Shen Huaizhi did indeed harbor resentment, but the object of his resentment was his nominal father, Lord Shen.

When he was young, Shen Huaizhi was in poor health and spent all his time in the cold and quiet courtyard. Only when Lord Shen came to visit him did the courtyard become warm.

However, Lord Shen visited him too infrequently. Shen Huaizhi went from anticipation and longing to disappointment and resentment, and finally his heart died, and he became devoid of desire.

When he was young, Shen Huaizhi heard the maidservants scold him for being a lowly concubine's son. All the information about his mother was what he had carefully and painstakingly gathered from the little things he knew as a child.

However, the more Shen Huaizhi inquired, the less he expected his parents' love for him.

Shen Huaizhi's existence is synonymous with Lord Shen's womanizing ways. His mother abandoned him and disappeared without a trace. He seems to have never been worthy of affection.

Fortunately, just before his heart closed off, he met Su Jinyue, so at least there was someone who still regarded him as a treasure.

Later, Shen Huaizhi unexpectedly learned of his identity as a prince, but he was able to treat it normally.

From a concubine's son in a marquis's household to a prince with blood from the previous dynasty, Shen Huaizhi's situation remained unchanged; he was still the one who was abandoned.

Faced with Song Zhihua and the Song family's deception and manipulation, Shen Huaizhi chose to indirectly tell Emperor Xinghe the truth. It wasn't that Shen Huaizhi had any fatherly affection for Emperor Xinghe, but rather that reason and conscience led him to choose the more advantageous side.

On the other hand, it was also to protect himself and Su Jinyue. Compared to Song Zhihua, Shen Huaizhi preferred to believe that the high and mighty Emperor Xinghe still had a trace of pity for his son.

Fortunately, it seems that Shen Huaizhi made the right bet.

Now that Emperor Xinghe is here, the matter of Shen Huaizhi being switched by Song Zhihua should be cleared up. Therefore, he should be the child of Emperor Xinghe and Consort Xian.

To be honest, when Shen Huaizhi first realized that he might have been switched, besides feeling resentment towards Song Zhihua, he also felt a little smug. He thought that this meant that Emperor Xinghe and Consort Xian still had feelings for him, and that he wasn't someone who would always be abandoned.

Shen Huaizhi still longed for his parents' love, but he was now an adult and no longer the little boy who stood still waiting for others to give him handouts.

In terms of emotions, trying to bind Shen Huaizhi with feelings might work for him, but it won't work forever.

Shen Huaizhi could distinguish between sincerity and pretense. He was willing to treat sincerity with sincerity, but if the other party only wanted to use pretense against him, Shen Huaizhi would not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

Shen Huaizhi slowly raised his head: "I thought it was because you didn't want me as your son."